Sanderson's boys eye Heineken - and hangover

When a grinning Pat Sanderson stood, pint in hand, on the Sixways turf regaling anyone within earshot about how his boys had beaten the Premiership drop, he looked like a man without a care in the world.

When a grinning Pat Sanderson stood, pint in hand, on the Sixways turf regaling anyone within earshot about how his boys had beaten the Premiership drop, he looked like a man without a care in the world.

Then it was suggested to him that because of their success Worcester still had at least one more match to play, at which point his face dropped. "I shouldn't say it but it is almost a blow," confessed the Warriors captain with more than a hint of irony.

Sanderson takes his euphoric but weary troops to Vicarage Road tonight whereupon they will engage, for a third time this season, a starstudded Saracens side looking for something tangible to show for their late-season charge.

At stake is a place in the Wildcard Final, a day out at Twickenham and the last remaining berth in next season's Heineken Cup - an incredible prize given the fact that Worcester had come within five minutes of relegation to National One.

They stand only two games from the most prestigious competition in club rugby. If they make it they'll have players banging down their door to join.

But first they must overcome a team that have bested them on each of their two previous meetings - and of course there's the hangover too.

Sanderson said: "It is going to be massively hard for us to get up for Friday but I don't suppose it will be too different to how Saracens will find it.

"There is always a massive focus on the league but even though now we are in the play-offs I have no doubt that the guys can refocus, they have done it week in week out all year."

Leicester and Wasps aside, in terms of form there are probably few tougher matches on offer in the English top flight. Sarries finished the season in fifth after six wins from their last seven fixtures and can boast a veritable glitterati of cast members.

Worcester, meanwhile, scraped to safety last Saturday. Sanderson wouldn't have it any other way, saying: "To say we have done it the hard way is certainly understating the task we have had here this year.

"I had no idea it would be as hard as this. To say we have played ten cup finals, I don't think would be an exaggeration. There is no doubt we can get ourselves up for another one."

And Sanderson isn't remotely perturbed by the players the Watford-based outfit have at their disposal. They are able to leave former international captains Raphael Ibanez and Taine Randell on their replacements bench. Their starting XV includes Thomas Castaignede, Richard Hill and Tevita Vaikona. Castaignede was at his impish best when the two sides met at Sixways last month and inspired Steve Diamond's team to an 19-18 victory.

For once the country's biggest spenders appear to have found a calculation to guarantee the whole is bigger than the sum of the parts.

That particular methodology has been Warriors' forte. "That is not what we are about," Sanderson said. "We are a great team with a close team spirit which has carried us this far - let's see how far it can take us on Friday."

Their pull-together ethic will be tested again tonight by the fact that they have made three changes to the side that beat Northampton.

Tommy Hayes has come in at outside centre for the injured Dale Rasmussen while youngster Richard Blaze and Neil Mason come into the pack for lock Phil Murphy and back-row Saiosi Vaili.